I traveled to Laos today. In order to continue to stay in Thailand legally, I needed to travel to a Thai consulate to change from a tourist visa to an education visa, which I received because I am studying the Thai language. Vientiane, Laos has the closest consulate to my home. So after a 10-hour(!) overnight bus ride to Udon Thani, another 1-hour bus ride to the border at Nong Khai, and a shuttle across the Friendship Bridge, I was processed in by several unsmiling guards and find myself in Lao People's Democratic Republic, where I took yet another minibus to the capital city, Vientiane. My initial impression is that I'm blown away by this city. Due to its past colonization by several countries, most notably France, Vientiane has a cool European vibe to it that Chiang Mai does not. Don't get me wrong, I love Thailand, my new home. But it's quite proud of never having been colonized, and is pretty closed off to outside influences. (Well, maybe Bangkok is different, but I don't know too much about it.) Take music, for example. In Thailand's bars and clubs, you'll hear either (1) Thai music or (2) covers of 5-year-old Jason Mraz tunes. Over and over and over. (Nothing against Mr. A-Z, of course, bu there's such a thing as too much.) In Vientiane, I spent a pleasant couple of hours in a sultry wine bar, enjoying music I've never heard before and some very good wine (another thing Thailand doesn't have!). Also, Vientiane has affordable international cuisine and does not have the dreadful stray dog problem that Thailand has. I am sure part of it is due to the communist government - for all I know, they rounded up all the stray dogs and gassed them en-masse. But so far, I'm having a ball and wondering what's not to love?
Stay tuned for days 2 and 3 when I meet a fellow EFL teacher and we leave the capital city to see the "real" Lao!
Stay tuned for days 2 and 3 when I meet a fellow EFL teacher and we leave the capital city to see the "real" Lao!
The crazy-looking bus I rode from CM to Udon. All the long-distance buses in Thailand look like this!
So disappointing to get to the famous Mekong River and find out it's under construction!
Cute French cafe. Places like this are all over Vientiane. Oh, the bread! The coffee! Yum :)
The Presidential Palace
More pictures here.
5 comments:
ok...
1: NO WINE!!??
2: the river was under construction?
I didn't know you are have a blogspot, that's so nice, i will following
I hate your blog. I hate it because it's awesome and I'm jealous. Sigh... I'd give anything to complain about Thai music.
Those are some good pictures! Hope to hear more from you soon.
Have a happy Easter!
Lee
He he... a good journey to Vietiane
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